Fastener



Oct. 5, 1937. H. ROSENBERG 2,095,153

' FASTENER Filed Jan. 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fleywzzm fosen Zery,

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Patented Oct. 5, 1937 9 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" 2,095,153 FAsTENEnHeyman Rosenberg, New York, N. Y.

Application January 25, 1934, Serial No. 708,295

Claims.

In my United States Letters Patent No. 1,482,151, dated January 29,1924; No. 1,485,202, dated February 26, 1924; No. 1,545,471, dated July7, 1925, and No. 1,686,468, dated October 2, 1928, 5 there are disclosedforms of fasteners having hardened threads and adapted to behammerdriven to effective anchorage in solid bodies of the hardermetals, such as soft iron and soft steel, and the resistance towithdrawal stresses of these several fasteners has proved to be verygreat, and the form adapted for the widest range of use while affordingthe greatest resistance to withdrawal is seen in my Patent No.1,545,471.

The present invention relates to improvements 5 in this class offasteners, in the manufacture of which the expense of production ismaterially reduced and the efliciency increased.

In my co-pending applications Serial Nos.

. 674,086 and 674,087, filed June 2, 1933, as divisions 20 of myco-pending application Serial No. 651,783,

filed January 14, 1933, it is pointed out that difficulty was previouslyexperienced in producing the fastener of my Patent No, 1,545,471,because of the difliculty of successfully producing dies 25 capable ofrolling the fastener. By virtue of the inventions of said co-pendingapplications, it

is now practicable to produce the fastener of my said Patent No.1,545,471 for sale at a not prohibitive cost, but nevertheless the costof produc- 30 tion is substantially greater than that of producingfasteners of my Patents Nos. 1,482,151; 1,485,202, and 1,686,468.

It is an important object of the present invention to obtainsubstantially the anchorage capaci- 35 ty in a fastener as that providedby the fastener of my Patent No. 1,545,471 at a materially reduced costof production of the fastener, and, in

fact, in some materials the anchorage of the present improved fasteneris superior to that of 40 the fastener of my Patent No. 1,545,471.

Other objects in view will becomie obvious in part and in part be statedhereinafter.

The invention includes a fastener having a plurality of sections of ribsarranged consecutively in the length of the body of the fastener andoffset angularly relative to each other about ments of parts of afastener as will hereinafter be specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Flgure 1 is a view in side elevation of a fastener embodying thefeatures of the present inven- 5 tion, and made in accordance with theart thereof, a part being broken away to disclose the pilot overhang.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken approximately on the plane indicatedby line 2--2 of Figure 1, 10 and looking downward.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken on the plane indicated by line3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation of a slight modificationof the structure seen in Figure 1 wherein the pilot overhang is notpresent.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a further embodiment whereinthree distinctive rib sections are employed instead of two.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 1 of an embodiment of the inventionparticularly well adapted for use in lieu of nails, such as in thefastening of sheet metal to wood.

Figure 7 is a further modified embodiment of the inventidn as seen inFigure 1 wherein the ribs are shown straight or parallel to the axis.

Figure 8 is a cross section taken on a plane indicated by line 8-8 ofFigure 7, and looking downward.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a further embodiment of theinvention especially well adapted for use in wood and the like.

Figure 10- is a transverse section taken approximately on the planeindicated by line Ill-l0 of Figure 9, and looking downward.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary, side elevation of an embodiment similar tothat seen in Figure 9, except for a difference in head contour.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a further embodiment adaptedparticularly for use as a. railway spike.

Figure 13 is a view in side elevation of a blank shaped to cause spacingof the several thread sections or areas.

.Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 13 of the completed fastenerformed from the blank of Figure 13.

It should be understood that all-of the figures of the drawings, exceptFigure 12, are 'magnifled more or less from the popular sizes forcommercial use, though sizes ranging from one-sixtyfourth of an inch indiameter and three-sixtyfourths of an inch long, over all, toseveneighths of an inch in diameter and four and onehalf inches long,overall, have been manufactured, with further variations below and abovethese limits readily available when and if the demand occurs. Therelatively enlarged showing facilitates disclosure of detail. Figure 12is shown on a slightly reduced scale from the sizes popularly used.

The fastener shown in Figure 1 corresponds substantially to theembodiment illustrated in my Patent No. 1,482,151 with the presentinvention incorporated. The embodiment of Figure 1 thus consistsessentially of a pin-like body I having a head 2 and spiral ribsarranged in two series or sections, one indicated by the numeral 3, andthe other by the numeral 4. These spiral ribs are, in fact, threads asshown in this embodiment, but may be in the form of plain, straight ribsparallel to the axis of the pin, as hereinafter described with respectto Figures '7 and 8 of the drawings. The inner or entering terminalportion of the pin l is preferably provided with a pilot 5 having at itsouter terminus a cylindrical shoulder or overhang 6, both the pilot andshoulder overhang being substantially the same as that disclosed in mylast above mentioned patent. The pilot overhang or shoulder 6 may beomitted if desired with the result that a pilot 5, as seen in Figure 4,is provided of the same diameter as the body I, so that the pilot 5becomes a smooth extension of the root diameter of the pin or body I.Also, it should be understood that the present improved fastener may beconstructed without a pilot or extension beyond the lower terminus ofthe ribs 4.

The ribs or threads 3 and 4 may have any of various available pitch, butshould be of sufficiently high pitch to enable the fastener to behammer-driven into the harder metals, such as soft iron and soft steel,and into other like materials under such conditions that the enteringends of said threads or ribs enter the material and cause the materialto flow laterally and down into the valleys between the ribs and thusproduce clogging action by the flowed and compressed material of thework between the ribs, which material arches across the space betweencontiguous faces of ribs and thus braces itself and occasions a maximumfrictional resistance to withdrawal movement. Each of these arches orclogs between each two ribs extends for as much of the length of theribs as has been driven into the work, and while it is possible with thesofter metals to cause the flowed material to seat against the body I,with the harder materials it is not usually the practice to soproportion the fastener and the bore in the work as to cause thatresult, because of the excessive resistance to the entry of the fastenerwhere the bore in the work is made suificiently small to enable the ironor steel to actually flow to a condition completely filling the spacesbetween ribs and engaging the bases of the valleys. The extent to whichthe material will flow depends entirely on the relative diameter of thebore in the work provided to receive the fastener. Usually the bore ismade to approximately fit and receive the pilot 5 in a manner to beeasily manually removable, so that in operation the pilot may beinserted into the bore and the fastener will 'upstand from the work,being held alined by the engagement of the pilot 5 with the surroundingwalls of the bore in the,

work. When the pilot 5' is used, the fit is usually not as snug unlessthe material to be entered is suificiently soft and compressible-to becaused to completely clog the spaces between ribs and to suflicientl'ycompress under the action of the ribs in entering the work as toaccommodate the ribs therein. A great latitude of variation is, ofcourse, necessary in different conditions and different character ofmaterial in which the fastener is to be driven, but with the hardermetals, such as soft iron and soft steel, a bore in the work is usuallyprepared equal approximately to and sufficiently larger than thediameter of the pilot 5 to facilitate ready, manual application of thepilot in the bore, and to allow the pilot to touch the walls of the boreso as to hold the" fastener in place without manual aid while thefastener is being struck by a hammer.

For use in the harder metals, the ribs or threads 3 and 4 are hardenedsufliciently to enter such metals substantially without injury to theribs or threads, that is to say, in common commercial practice the ribsor threads of the fastener of my Patent No. 1,482,151 have been hardenedby casehardening the fastener, preferably by the cyaniding process, andthe ribs or threads 3 and 4 of the instant invention are preferablylikewise hardened.

The fastener I may be considered as having two sections or areas, thoughthe two are integral and comprise one continuous structure, one of thesections being indicated by the group of ribs 4, and this section may beconsidered the inner or first entering section, while the group of ribs3 may be considered the outer section looked upon from the approach ofthe fastener into the work. The ribs 4 of the inner section are locatedabout the body I and spaced apart such that the spacing betweencontiguous ribs is preferably approximately equal to the width of thebase of any particular rib, as plainly seen in Figure 2, and the spacingof the ribs 3 is preferably the same as the spacing of the ribs 4; butthe ribs 4 are located with their outer ends angularly out of line withthe ribs 3 and preferably in line with the bases of the valleys betweenthe ribs 3, so that, since the distance from one edge of the base of arib to the other edge of such base is substantially equal to the spacingbetween ribs, the base of the outer end of each of the ribs 4substantially spans the space corresponding to the space betweencontiguous ribs 3. Thus, the outer ends of the ribs 4 present abruptprojections or interlocking means outstanding from the body I in linewith and at the inner ends of the valleys between the several ribs 3.

Hence, in operation, when the fastener is driven into work substantiallyas taught by my Patent No. 1,482,151, that is, by inserting the pilot 5into a bore in soft iron or soft steel, or other appropriate work, ofless diameter than a circle touching the outer edges of the ribs 4, andthe head 2 is struck by a hammer or otherwise subjected to suflicientlongitudinal, axial stress as to cause the fastener to enter the work,the ribs 4 enter the iron or steel or other work endwise and groovetheir own paths in the work, so that the metal which is parted by theribs is flowed along the sides of the ribs into the valleys between themand produces a clogging action. Between the adjacent faces of each twoof the ribs 4 an arch of flowed material of the work is produced undersuch stress that a reaction within the metal itself is set up incidentto the natural tendency of the flowed and arched-metal to return to itsinitial state or condition, which reaction causes a powerful frictionaland binding effect on the ribs. This force, of course, must be overcomeby the hammer blows'until the fastener is sufficiently or sat- 2,096,158isfactorily seated, whether entirely or only partially inserted. As thefastener progresses inward in the work and the inner ends of theribs 3begin to enter the material of the work not only is the wall of the boreentered, but the material previously flowed-by ribs 4 is further causedto move or cold flow to a new and arched position between the ribs 3,and the material is also caused to become more compact incident tomovement of the inner ends of ribs 3 into the material. The material isalso caused to flow across portions of the outer ends of the ribs 4,and, where the crowding is sufficient, very substantial portions of theflowed material are caused to overhang and interlock with the outer endsof the ribs 4, so that any effort to withdraw the fastener after itsinsertion must be exerted against the resistance of the outer ends ofribs 4 against the thus flowed and overhanging material, as well asagainst the clogging between ribs.

It should be obvious that the interlocking action thus obtained by thematerial overhanging the rib ends adds to the capacity of the fastenerto resist withdrawalno matter what the material may be of which the workis formed so long as it has the capacity either to flow or to spring toa position overhanging the ends of the ribs 4. It should also beapparent that as many sections, such as 3 and 4, may be provided in thelength of a fastener as may be desired, so that the number and places ofthe interlocking means may thus be increased. i

In Figure 5 is shown a fastener similar to the fastener shown in Figure1, and differing therefrom only in the provision of more than twosections or areas, so that more than one place of interlock is provided.In this embodiment, the pin body 'I is provided with a head II and apilot l2, and is also provided with the several series or sections ofribs 8, 9, and Hi. All ribs 8, 9, and III are similar in geometriccontour and relative spacing with respect to each other,,and alsosimilar in relative location in outstanding from the body I; but theribs of series or sections 9 are angularlyadvanced about the body I withtheir v upper ends out of line with the ribs 8 so as to be in line withthe valleys between ribs 8, and the ribs I are similarly locatedangularly of the body 1 with respect to ribs 9 so as to have their outerends aline with the valleys between the ribs 9, all

after the manner set forth with respect to fastener l except that athird series or set of ribs (I 0) is utilized so as to give a second setof interlocking means in the length of the fastener. Each of. the ribs3, 4, 8, 9, and I0 is preferably of the V type of cross section, but maybe otherwise shaped, and each is shown as a thread having a sufficientlyhigh pitch to lend itself to being driven into work, such as soft ironand soft steel, while rotating the fastener incident to advance in thework; and, while it is preferable to have the ribs proportioned withrespect to their valleys, as shown and described above, otherproportions are, of course, readily available with resulting differencesin degree of capacity according to the work entered. For instance, whileas with respect to the ribs 3 and 4 and the ribs 8, 9, and III, thebases of the inner ribs substantially occupy the spacing at the lowerends of the valleys of the outer ribs, as seen in Figure 6, the ribs maybe more widely spaced or may be slightly narrower and thus providegreater clearance and afford a more ready flow of the flowed material atthe place of the interlock or terminus of one series and beginning ofanother seriesof ribs. This of outer rib sections.

latter arrangement is found valuable where the material is fibrous andsprings rather than fiows, as, for instance, where the fastener is to beused in wood, and there is, therefore, a reasonable assurance that asprung condition of the wood fiber will cause overhanging of the outerends of the inner series of ribs while sufiicient space is left betweenthe inner ends of the outer series and the outer ends of the innerseries to reduce the extent of compression of material passing betweenthe respective series of ribs so as to avoid pulverizing or completelycrushing the fiber or otherwise injuring such other material as may beentered. The fastener as seen in Figure 5 is preferably case-hardened,especially where it is to be used in work of the harder metals.

In Figure 6 is illustrated an embodiment of the present inventionespecially designed for anchoring sheet metal to wood, or for other useswhere nails have heretofore been used, but where it is desired toprovide a much more effective anchorage than can be secured by a nail.The structure is substantially identical with that described relative toFigure5, except that the spacing of the ribs or the relatively reducedwidth of the several ribs causes the valleystherebetween to enable theprovision of a clearance between the outer ends of inner rib sectionsand inner ends seen in Figure 6 consists of a pinelike body l3 having ahead l4, and preferably a conical or tapering entering end portion ortip l5. It should be understood that the entering portion, tip or pilotmay be varied widely, or entirely omitted in any of the structureswherever not required or desired. Outstanding from the body l3 are therib series l6. I1, and I 8, similar in construction and arrangement withthose seen in Figure 5, except for the clearance above mentioned. Theoperation of the fastener I3 is the Specifically, the structuresame asthe operation of the fasteners l and I when the fastener I3 is providedwith hardened ribs and driven into work of the harder metals, and issomewhat similar in operation when either hardened or not hardened anddriven into fibrous material, such as commonly used for electricinsulation, or such as wood, except for the difference in action of thematerial in finding interlocking relation with respect to the outer endsof inner series of ribs or threads. It should be plain that the fastenerl3 when used as a nail may have its ribs or threads l6, l1, and ll! ofexactly the same proportions and same relative location as the ribs 8,8, and ll) of the fastener I.

In Figures 7 and 8 is illustrated a fastener made up of a body It!having a head 28, and a pilot 2|. Outstanding from the body l9 are ribs22 and 23, making up two series similar to'the series 3 and 4, exceptthat the ribs 22 and 23 are perfectly straight and lie parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the body l9 so that the body may be driven intowork without any turning movement. The

ribs are relatively proportioned and the inner series set with respectto the outer series similar to the ribs 3 and 4, so that the valleysbetween the ribs ofthe outer series 22 have their inner ends partiallyclosed by the outer ends of the series of ribs 23. In Figure '7 there isan optical illusion incident to the perspective on which the lateralribs are seen which cause the inner series to appear to outstand fromthe body a slightly less distance than the outer series, but, as seen inFigure 8, the ribs 23 actually outstand the same. distance and are ofthe same geometric form. and proportions as the ribs 22. Obviously, thisform and these proportions may be substantially changed withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present invention or substantiallydetracting from the interlocking action and the effective anchorageoccasioned by the angular adjustment of a series of ribs with respect toanother series about the body H].

In Figures 9 and 10 is shown an embodiment of the invention applied toa, popular form of commercial, wood drive screw in which the parts areshown as arranged similarly to those seen in Figure 6, except that athread of different shape and pi ch is used. In this embodiment, 24indicates the head and 25 the entering end portion or pilot, while 26 isthe body which preferably has a smooth portion between the head and thefirst section or series of threads 21, which section is followed by thethread sections 28 and 29. Ob-

viously, as many such thread sections may be.

provided as desired. The principle of application of the invention isthe same in this embodiment as in the other embodiments above described,and the difference in appearance arises from the thread formation asplainly seen in Figure 10, which is produced with a continuous curvebetween each two threads to form the valley therebetween, so that a verysubstantial portion of each of the threads of section 28 outstands belowor inward of and in line with the corresponding valley between therespective threads of section 21. Thus, an effective interlock isprovided well adapted for cooperating with fibrous material whichsprings rather than flows to new positions. InFigure 11 is seen afurther embodiment of substantially the same form of fastener as shownin Figures 9 and 10 except that the head 30 is flat and of theconventional countersink type instead of the rounded form. The bodyformation and the threads, such as 21 of Figure 11, correspond withthose shown in Figures 9 and 10. In Figure 12 is seen an embodiment ofthe present invention designed and adapted for use as a railway spike.It is preferably applied by being hammer-driven into place in a crosstie after a bore has been formed in the cross tie to receive it ofsubstantially the diameter of the body of the fastener, or possiblyslightly less than that diameter, so that likelihood of splitting orother injury to the cross tie is avoided. This embodiment includes thehead 3| and the entering tip or pilot 32, the latter being preferably inthe form of a truncated cone, since it is designed to enter an alreadyprepared opening. The fastener has its body 33 formed with threads 34,35, and 36 corresponding to those described in connection with Figures 9and 10, and operating substantially the same with assurance of effectiveinterlock precluding loosening of the fastener after it has been seatedin the cross tie. The head 3| may assume any of various shapes, but ispreferably of the form shown in Figure 12, so that as the fastenerrevolves while it is being driven into place, an overhanging portion ofthe head will assuredly overlap the flange of the rail to be anchored.

It will be observed that, as seen in the several figures of the drawingspreceding Figures 11} and 14, the outer ends of the threads or ribs ofeach inner series or section are located substantially in the sametransverse plane of the fastener as the inner ends of the next outerseries or section. Variation in this location is, of course, available,and it is entirely feasible to space the outer ends of an inner sectionor series of threads or ribs inward from the inner ends of the nextadjacent the pilot or entering tip, the body being seen in Figure 14 at38. This body or root diameter is observable in Figure 13 only at theplaces between the several spaced series or sections of ribs or threads,the places where such ribs or threads are to appear having the largerdiameters indicated at 39, 40, 4|, and 42 which provide the necessarymaterial out of which the ribs or threads are to be rolled. Between theareas of greater diameter, indicated at 39, 40, 4|, and 42, are thecircumferential grooves 43 where the root diameter or body of thefastener in its final dimensions is exposed. The formation of the ribsof the fastener 38 is accomplished the same as that of the various otherfasteners above described, except that in the absence of material at theplaces 43 no thread or rib will appear in the course of the rollingoperation. In the absence of material at the places 43, the presence orabsence of die portions becomes immaterial, and the dies may be spacedapart if desired to correspond to spaces 43.

The resulting product from the rolling of the blank seen in Figure 13 isthe fastener seen in Figure 14 with the thread or rib series or sections39', 40', 4|, and 42'. The structure seen in Figure 14, when used in theharder metals, such as soft iron and soft steel, is preferablycase-hardened, or the threads or ribs are otherwise appropriatelyhardened to a condition adapting them to resist wear in entering suchharder metals substantially without injury to the threads. Likewise, inall of the embodiments illustrated, the threads or ribs are preferablyhardened to the same extent so as to possess the same characteristicswhere intended for use in the said harder metals, and it is preferablefor commercial purposes to effect such hardening of the threads or ribsby the well known cyanide process of casehardening as a convenient,eifective, and dependable mode of producing uniformly hardened threads.

In the commercial production of threaded and ribbed fasteners, perhapsthe most popular mode of manufacturing to provide quantity production atminimum expense is by rolling in thread rolling machines, and it is, ofcourse, well understood that when rolling a fastener such as shown in myPatent No. 1,482,151 the pilot and the pilot overhang are provided bythe form of blank em.- ployed and the fact that the rolling operationeffects less than the full length of the blank. Similarly, in practicingthe present invention as an art of constructing fasteners, the pilot,whatever its form as seen throughout the drawings, results from theexcess portion of the blank and the blank being given such diameter atsuch excess portion as to afford the result intended, so that, so far asthe rolling operation is concerned, the pilot may be disregarded, and,in fact, it is entirely feasible to provide thoroughly commerciallypracticable fasteners without any pilot at all. Accordingly, referencehereinafter to the rolling operation will be directed to the formationof the threads or ribs without reference to either the head of thefastener or the pilot. It

has been my practice from the time of my invention of Patent No.1,482,151 to produce largequantities of the fasteners byautomatically-fed thread rolling machines, and one of the advantages ofthe present invention is the fact that an interlock is providedintermediate the ends of the threaded or ribbed portion of the fastener,and such interlock can be and is produced by me by a thread rollingoperation without the expense or difiiculties incident to rolling theform of fastener shown in my Patent No. 1,545,471, as explained in myco-pending application Serial No. 651,783. To produce the fastener ofthe present invention, whether of any of the embodiments shown in thedrawings or other equivalent embodiments, it is only necessary toprovide, instead of a single die, one die for each thread series orsections, and by adjusting one of the dies with respect to the otherwhere only two thread series are employed, as in Figure l, or byadjusting the intermediate die where three thread series are employed,as in Figure 5, or by adjusting each alternate die where more than threethread series are employed, the thread or rib forming grooves of thedies can be caused to be offset with respect to each other so as topossess the same relative location as the desired location of the ribsor threads to be formed. The several dies are then fastened together, asby being riveted together,

and the whole is inserted into the automatic rolling machine as a singledie, and the rolling operation is carried out after the manner of'standard practice, except that each alternate die is forming ribs orthreads offset angularly with respect to the ribs or threads in thesingle adjacent series orthe two adjacent series. There is no need oroccasion for rolling in and out parts of a rib, or otherwise providingfor the formation of interruptions in the length of a rib; Theprocessconsists merely in forming up the material of the body of the fastenerinto a series of ribs at one place in certain definite spacing andforming up a series of similar ribs at an adjacent place withcorresponding spacing but adjusted angularly so that the ribs of thesecond series do.

- 1. A fastener comprising a pin-like body having a series of ribsextending for a section of the body, and a second series of ribslikewise extending for another section of the body, the ribs of thesecond series being located to have their outer ends terminatesubstantially in line with the valleys between the ribs of the firstsection, all of the ribs being substantially uniform in geometriccontour and proportions and being spaced about the body of the fastenersuch that the spacing between any two ribs is substantially equal to thewidth of the base ofa rib, and the outer ends of the ribs of the secondseries being in substantially the same transverse plane of the fasteneras the inner ends of the first series.

2. A hammer-driven fastener comprising a pinlike body having a pluralityof series of ribs, each series extending for a section of the bodydiiferent from the section along which the other series extends, theribs of one series being set angularly about the body out of alinementwith but otherwise continuous of the ribs of the other series, and theribs being pitched to cause them to form threads and the'pitch beingsuch that when the fastener is driven into an opening in work of adiameter less than the greatest distance between outstanding 'edges ofdiametrically-opposite threads the fastener will be rotated incident toits axial advance and the engagement of the threads with the work.

3. A fastener comprising a pin-like body having a plurality of series ofoutstanding materialdisplacing ribs extending along the'body, the ribsof one series being spaced along the body beyond the ribs of the otherseries, and the ribs of one series being located angularly about thebody out of line with the ribs of the other series and so located andproportioned as to lie on the body in such position that extended linesof the ribs of oneseries would be parallel to the ribs of the otherseries, the ribs of one series being constructedand arranged to displacethe material into which the fastener is introduced laterally into thepath of the ribs of the preceding series so as to overhang and interlockwith the ends of said last-mentioned ribs.

4. A fastener as claimed in claim 3 wherein the outer ends of the innerseries of ribs lie in substantially the same transverse plane of the pinbody as that occupied by the inner ends of the outer series. i

5. A fastener as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of the ribs has a.thread'pitch and the pitch is suiiiciently high to enable impact drivingof the fastener into work engaged by the ribs to cause the ribs to movethe fastener angularly as it advances axially under impact.

. HEYMAN ROSENBERG.

